nomad Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 This is my first wheel I enjoy it so much I've used it daily for almost a month. But the wheel is so thin I had rather big gaps between the legs and the pads. It could get quite wobbly over bumpy areas and side wind, jittery to ride at walking speed in a straight line and unstable when starting or stopping. The pedal height (which is lovely I might add) is not making balance easier.. More experience will make you more stable but this mod should still improve stability. With this mod it's easier to grab the wheel with my legs so stability impoves a lot but agility is somewhat reduced making tight 180 turns harder but I think it's worth the trade off. The grip also makes it possible to jump up curbs (at your own risk) ! I used a good quality sleeping pad (10 euro), scissors, some heavy duty double sided tape and a little electrical tape to pinch it over the stock pads on top. I guess there's room for improvement when it comes to the look but it works great and it's comfy as well for such a quick fix. Now here's a couple pics: Finished mod: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunka Hunka Burning Love Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 That's an excellent mod job! I did a similar thing when I was riding my generic (I used carpet underlay), and it made it much more comfortable to ride on. I don't know why more manufacturers don't offer some sort of leather covered memory foam or something as an option rather than have users tape stuff on. These little pads that come with some new wheels and not so soft pads don't really cut it. I guess after a while though you don't really need the padding anymore, but it would be a nice option for people to have something removable if they want to. On my Ninebot One E+ the side box covers are slightly soft which works okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason McNeil Posted August 13, 2016 Share Posted August 13, 2016 52 minutes ago, nomad said: wheel is so thin I had rather big gaps between the legs and the pads It's so true, I find the same, the first Wheel made that is almost too thin! Started using the V8 over the last two days, although it's only 148mm max width, it's 1-2 cm wider than the V5F+ & doesn't feel as ergonomic. Leading top edges on V8 are NOT padded, so it's not as comfortable to ride. Time permitting, will try to do a brief write-up of thoughts & impressions of this Wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 14, 2016 Author Share Posted August 14, 2016 The sleeping pad I used has 14mm thickness (adding 28mm counting both sides). V5F+ is such a portable wheel I can have it standing up leaning against the front of the seat under my thighs where there would otherwise just be air. When sitting on the train etc. it literally takes no space. I think they're trying to make another portable wheel with the V8 even though it's a little heavier. The fully retractable trolley will save space on the V8, the V5 is already pushing the limit for full portability with the external handle.. It would be very nice to see a size comparison between the V5 and V8! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason McNeil Posted August 14, 2016 Share Posted August 14, 2016 12 hours ago, nomad said: would be very nice to see a size comparison between the V5 and V8! Coming... I have mixed feelings about the V8: the lightness, power, handling make it wonderful to ride, but the shell geometry is not well thought out, what could have been a magnificent Wheel, is instead a mixed bag. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 18 hours ago, Jason McNeil said: Coming... I have mixed feelings about the V8: the lightness, power, handling make it wonderful to ride, but the shell geometry is not well thought out, what could have been a magnificent Wheel, is instead a mixed bag. I'm looking forward to your insights on the V8 nontheless! V5F+ hit the nail on the head, I think many if not most would prefer a blown up V5F+ with a 16" wheel, weight optimization, more power and as much battery space as possible which means keeping the external handle, no other changes except perhaps a stronger headlight and a mechanical power button. But the V8 should be a high quality product although more of a sidegrade than an upgrade (I don't think it will attract any V5F+ users, maybe a V8F+ in the future). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 Update: The double sided tape did not hold the pads so it detached over night.. The tape is still sticking to the shell and the electrical tape is still sticking to the outside of the pads. One way would be to glue some overhead plastic film or similar to the inside of the pads. The sleeping pad I used has a rough surface which glue can sink into. Then the double sided tape can attach to a smooth surface which should hold up better. The easiest way is probably to just glue the pads directly onto the shell, but that is more permanent (however this wheel has easily replaceble shells). Anyway, I think the thinness is actually an advantage because it gives the choice to mount extra thick and soft pads without it getting too wide! Maybe Inmotion should look into selling some official comfort shells with extra cushioning! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted August 15, 2016 Share Posted August 15, 2016 40 minutes ago, nomad said: Update: The double sided tape did not hold the pads so it detached over night.. The tape is still sticking to the shell and the electrical tape is still sticking to the outside of the pads. Certainly in the pictures, the pad's surface doesn't look too rough for the tape to stick. Is it not possible that there is a release agent on the foam from manufacturer? You might wish to try cleaning the surface with Methylated Spirit (Ethanol) or possibly Acetone (cellulose thinners or nail varnish remover) the latter might dissolve the foam so would need to be tested carefully first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 1 hour ago, Keith said: Certainly in the pictures, the pad's surface doesn't look too rough for the tape to stick. Is it not possible that there is a release agent on the foam from manufacturer? You might wish to try cleaning the surface with Methylated Spirit (Ethanol) or possibly Acetone (cellulose thinners or nail varnish remover) the latter might dissolve the foam so would need to be tested carefully first. That may be possible, it stuck pretty well at first then detached by itself over night, hmm. I bought some super strong duct tape to put on the shell, think that is not permanent but seems to have stronger adhesive than the double sided tape I had. Also bought some sort of extreme power glue. My new plan with this is to first put duct tape on the shell. Secondly on top of the duct tape spread out a proper amount of glue. And lastly slap the pad onto that. This should hold and be possible to remove one day without destroying the nice shell! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 15, 2016 Author Share Posted August 15, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 I ended up gluing the pads directly onto the shell yesterday skipping the tape and it works! Using glue makes the mod more permanent and a bit less quick/simple. I first tried sanding off a smaller cut out test pad with sandpaper in case it had some surface treatment agent repelling the tape, but it fell off over night same as before, so this sleeping pad must be too porous for tape to stick well enough. I'm pretty sure tape would stick with a more foamy sleeping pad. I considered getting a different padding material, but after commuting all this week with only stock pads my conclusion is that it's too wobbly unless the ground is perfect. The extra padding really improves the handling so much I don't need a temporary solution! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nomad Posted August 20, 2016 Author Share Posted August 20, 2016 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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